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Cam Neely
Canadian |birth_date = |birth_place = Comox, BC, CAN |draft = 9th overall |draft_year = 1983 |draft_team = Vancouver Canucks |career_start = 1983 |career_end = 1996 |halloffame = 2005 }} Cameron Michael "Cam" Neely (born June 6, 1965) is a retired Canadian professional player. He played right wing for the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League from 1983 to 1996. He currently serves as the Vice President of the Boston Bruins. Playing career Neely was born in Comox, British Columbia. He was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks ninth overall in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft, after a stellar season with the Portland Winter Hawks of the Western Hockey League in which he led the team to the Memorial Cup Championship, becoming the first US-based team to claim the Cup. He played three seasons with the Canucks before being traded along with a draft pick (1st choice, 3rd overall in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft, used to take Glen Wesley) to the Boston Bruins for Barry Pederson. Almost immediately, it became apparent that the Bruins had received the better of the deal. In his first full season following the trade, Neely's 36 goals led the club, and his 72 points more than doubled his previous year's performance. Neely's success stemmed largely from his hard, accurate shot, quick release, and his willingness to engage in the more physical aspects of the game. At 6 ft 1 in and 215 lb, Neely was as devastating with his body checks and fists as he was with his goal scoring exploits. He became the archetype of the ultimate power forward and earned the nickname 'Bam-Bam Cam'. In draft after draft, general managers looking for a combination of toughness and talent would say that they needed to find a "Cam Neely" type. On May 11, 1991, during Game 3 of the 1991 Prince of Wales Conference Finals, Neely was checked by Ulf Samuelsson, and injured on the play, and was hit again to the knee in game 6. Many thought that this was a "cheap" hit by Samuelsson. Compounding the situation was the fact that Neely developed myositis ossificans in the injured area. The injury kept Neely out of all but 22 games of the next two seasons, and he would never play more than 49 games again due to the incredible pain. However, he still recorded some remarkable scoring feats. Only Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Brett Hull scored a better goals per game average over the course of an NHL season than Neely did with his 50-goals-in-44-games in the 1993–94 season. Also, only ten players in NHL history scored a better goals per game average over their career than Neely. He reached the fifty goal mark three times, played in five All-Star games, and was named the league's Second Team All-Star at right wing in 1988, 1990, 1991, and 1994. In the 1993–94 season Neely scored his 50th goal in his 44th game; only Gretzky has scored 50 goals in fewer games. This milestone is unofficial as the 50 goals must be scored in the first 50 games the team plays, counting from the start of the season. Other players have also "unofficially" reached this milestone such as Alexander Mogilny, Jari Kurri, and Bobby Hull. He was regularly listed as a healthy scratch in alternate games in order to rest his ailing knee, and ultimately retired in 1996. In addition, Neely's intense efforts to come back time and again from his devastating injuries were recognized with his winning of the Masterton Trophy after the 1993–94 season. A degenerative hip condition forced Neely into retirement. His #'8' jersey has been retired by the Bruins, making him the tenth player to have a number retired by the team. Neely was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2005. On September 25, 2007, Neely was appointed Vice President of the Boston Bruins. Career statistics External links * Category:Born in 1965 Category:Bill Masterton Trophy winners Category:Boston Bruins players Category:Canadian ice hockey players Category:Hockey Hall of Fame Category:NHL All-Stars Category:National Hockey League first round draft picks Category:NHL players with 50 goal seasons Category:National Hockey League players with retired numbers Category:Portland Winter Hawks alumni Category:Vancouver Canucks draft picks Category:Vancouver Canucks players Category:Retired in 1996